New analysis sheds light on how employers approach job seekers without prior experience and the findings vary widely by region, occupation and skill level.
While capital cities account for the largest volume of vacancies, employers there are least likely to offer entry-level opportunities. In contrast, remote and country areas, as well as inland cities show greater openness to early career candidates, partly due to lower competition for roles.
Opportunities for inexperienced applicants are most common in roles such as Sales Workers, Labourers, and some Community and Personal Service positions. However, jobs requiring higher qualifications or prior work experience, such as Professional roles remain harder to access.
Around 1 in 3 employers hired experienced candidates for entry-level roles, highlighting the value placed on relevant skills and work experience even at the starting point.
The REOS RIR tells us that recruitment activity eased in October 2025, with 48% of employers hiring, down three points from September. However, the smoothed trend shows recruitment rates have been gradually rising over the past six months. Recruitment difficulty also continued to decline from the record highs of 2022, while staffing outlook softened slightly, despite a longer-term upward trend since late 2024.
For more insights, read the spotlight.
